


Being with him tonight

by VaderCat



Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Best Friends, F/M, Fluff, Jealous Cassian, Light Angst, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-02
Updated: 2019-08-02
Packaged: 2020-07-29 03:57:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20075752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VaderCat/pseuds/VaderCat
Summary: It’s the end of the academic year and relationships are threatened when Jyn dates someone that’s not Cassian and Cassian makes a decision that will change his relationship forever with Jyn.





	Being with him tonight

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so the summary sounds really painful but it’s not that bad.
> 
> Been wanting to write this fic for awhile. Calum Scott’s [Dancing on my Own](https://youtu.be/q31tGyBJhRY)  
really got me thinking about this fic but gotta say The Commodores (yes I'm super old) [Oh No](https://youtu.be/mlZLgx0ESJ0) reasonated with me as well for this fic.
> 
> Also, thought I would join the round of best friend AUs but decided to switch it where my girl Jyn gets action and Cassian is the jealous one that makes dumb decisions.

Cassian opened the door to the Falcon and he immediately wished he trusted his gut instincts to stay home. They were all getting together for their annual end of school year celebration. Finals were over, grades had been turned in and he was only teaching one summer school course. Their group of friends had turned this into an annual tradition when they all started as junior faculty a couple of years ago. Cassian just wanted to sleep for a week and he had been tempted to blow it off like his roommate Kay had done. He had been teaching a full load, was advising and on top of that was putting the final touches on a journal article. But Jyn and Bodhi had both begged him to come out and of course, when the two ganged up on him, he couldn’t resist. He had asked Kay to come with him - more like begged him - and Kay’s reaction had been typical. 

“_ Why would I spend $5 on one beer when I can buy a six pack for that price at the store? Drinking at that filthy bar only leads to bad decisions and an empty wallet, Cassian. Plus watching you watch Jyn Erso is gross. I do not wish to participate.” _

Cassian could’ve just done with a simple _ no thank you _ and that would’ve been the end of it. 

_ Plus he didn’t watch Jyn. Kay made it sound like he was a stalker. _

But as he walked into the Falcon, he couldn’t help but not look at her. 

And her stupid date. 

He bit the inside of his cheek, trying hard not to frown. This was what - her sixth date with _ Dave _, the new IT guy for their college. Dave had joined their little bar group after he had saved Bodhi from a phishing scam that ended up with hard core porn randomly playing at inopportune times on Bodhi’s computer.

He could kick himself for not saying anything the day _ Dave _asked Jyn out. He had no idea it would lead to this.

_ One month ago _

_ They were eating lunch in the Faculty commons. Jyn had been running late and told them to start without her. Cassian had added extra food to his plate to share with her and spied her in line for the frozen yogurt. He shook his head and smiled. Jyn had such a sweet tooth. He was taking a drink of his milk (yes he was lame because he had always been skinny and milk helped to keep his body more on the lean side rather than the skinny side) and was trying to get Jyn’s attention so she could find him easily - _

_ “Hey Cassian, you think Jyn will go out on a date with me?” Dave asked out of the blue. _

_ Cassian gagged, his milk coming out of his nose, dribbling down his chin. Bodhi, who normally had a great poker face, bit back a laugh, and looked down, suddenly interested in the soggy fries he grabbed from the buffet. _

_ Cassian continued to choke and Dave patted him on the back. “You okay, man? Want me to get you some water?” _

_ Cassian waved him off and tried to regain his sense of dignity. _

_ “So . . . Jyn? I don’t think she’s dating anyone. You think she would be interested?” Dave asked anxiously, his big, blue puppy dog eyes following her every move. _

_ Cassian wanted to tell Dave to back off. That Jyn wouldn’t be interested. That she was focusing on her career and had no time for romance. He wanted to spout off all the reasons why he shouldn’t ask Jyn out on a date based on Jyn’s rants and raves from previous bad dates. _

_ Instead he shrugged his shoulders. “Jyn’s pretty quiet about her private life. It’s up to you.” _

_ Bodhi’s stare bored holes into his head. _

_ “Bodhi, what do you think? You’re her roommate, think she’ll say yes?” _

_ Now it was Cassian’s turn to glare at Bodhi. Bodhi glanced at Dave then back at Cassian. Before he could respond, Jyn sat down next to Cassian with her frozen yogurt, already half eaten while she was waiting in line to pay for it. _

_ “Hey you guys! Thanks for saving me a spot.” _

_ Cassian could feel the warmth of her body against his leg, how she sat shoulder to shoulder with him and he could almost smell the citrus scent of the lotion she used. _

_ He smiled at her and was about to push his plate in her direction, when Dave beat him to it, pushing his extra plate of wings and fries in her direction. _

_ Jyn grinned at Dave. “Thanks - I was going to get something to eat but the lines were too long.” _

_ Dave smiled back at her and his baby blues opened wide. _

_ No. Cassian thought. Don’t do it. Don’t embarrass yourself. Don’t put her in an awkward position. I’ll murder you if you hurt her. Don’t date her. _

_ “The wings here are pretty good but they opened that new place across the street and there’s a brewery attached to it. Wanna check it out sometime?” _

_ Jyn looked at Dave and then at Cassian. Bodhi studiously went back to picking at his soggy, baked fries. Cassian did the only thing he could and shrugged his shoulders and pulled out his phone, pretending to look at an email. Disappointment flashed briefly across Jyn’s face and she looked back at Dave. _

_ “Sure, sounds fun.” She grabbed his phone and texted herself from his phone. “There’s my number, just let me know when.” _

_ Present _

That was a month ago and they had been on five dates. Cassian figured by date number three she would have broken it off. She rarely went past date three. Date three was where Jyn worried things would get too serious and she would go into self-sabotage mode. Not like any of the losers she dated deserved a fourth date. But Jyn typically self-destructed after date three. 

Cassian hated lunch now. Jyn didn’t sit as close to him anymore. Or sometimes she would sit next to _ Dave. _ And they would have these stupid inside jokes that nobody understood. Or they would talk about the painting assignment at the Paint and Sip event or the lamp festival they went to, or the other stupid romantic places _ Dave _had been taking her to. 

He was so over her dating him but there was nothing he could do. She looked happy. Happier than he had ever seen her before. He would never do anything to jeopardize that for her. 

So tonight was Date Six. Cassian didn’t even want to know what happened after Date Six. He and Jyn had been best friends for years and he knew her. _ He knew her. _ It was hard for her to trust people, to be herself, to trust someone with her and Date Six . . . Jyn had jokingly referred to Date Six one time as Date _ Sex. _ Cassian’s fist clenched. _ He definitely did not want to be thinking that. He had no right to be jealous or mad or upset. No right. _

He should have said something, he should have told her dating someone at work was a bad idea . . . 

_ Pot. Kettle. Black. Cassian. _

He should’ve asked her first. 

But noooo . . . he was too scared of risking their friendship for something he wasn’t sure she was feeling. He had thought . . . last summer . . . they had a moment. They had gone out to dinner and they stayed at the restaurant for hours, talking, until the restaurant closed down. She had opened up about her past, her parents deaths, her rocky upbringing. He told her about his life growing up, how he lost his parents too and that night, he had never felt so connected to someone. He walked her back to the apartment she shared with Bodhi and she had hugged him tight and his face had been inches from hers and all it took was one move and he looked down at her luminous green eyes, and for a brief second her beauty scared him and he thought _ I don’t deserve this _ and his face instantly blanked out and she stepped back quickly and patted him on the arm - _ like a fucking friend - _ murmured _ goodnight Cassian _and went inside. 

Cassian saw Jyn wave to him and he nodded in her direction, heading towards the bar. She and _ Dave _ were playing foosball and his jaw clenched - _ that was their game - _and he saw her smile brightly at Dave and the dumbass was so taken in by her smile that she scored quickly and then laughed. Dave grabbed her around the waist and pulled her to him - 

“You going to stop staring and order a beer?” Came a gruff voice from behind the bar. Cassian turned and looked at the bar’s owner, Han Solo, a friend of a friend of a friend. 

“I’m not staring,” he muttered, as Han opened up a bottle of Modelo for him. He turned back to look at Jyn and_ Dave _ and that’s when he noticed she was dressed up and wearing makeup. _ Not that she needed it. She was beautiful without it. _ She was in a pair of tight black jeans and an emerald green top that made her eyes glitter like emeralds in the darkened bar. Her hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail with cute tendrils that framed her pert face. His heart stuttered just looking at her. _ Dave _was a lucky SOB. Cassian hated him. 

“Hey Cass!” Bodhi came up to him and patted him on the shoulder. “Didn’t think you were going to make it but Jyn knew she could get you to come. What’d she do? Send you the sad orange cat meme?”

Cassian frowned. She did. The one with the big green eyes that reminded Cassian of when Jyn pouted or wanted something. _ Damn Bodhi. _

“I probably won’t stay that long, Bodes. Just wanted to stop and say - “

He stopped talking when he saw _ Dave _ pull Jyn onto the dance floor and he looped his arms around her waist and pulled her close to him and - 

Bodhi sighed. “Cass . . .” he said softly. “Why don’t you go cut in? Dance with her. Talk to her. Tell her that you fucking love her and get this shit over with.”

Cassian jerked back, his ears turning a bright red. _ Was he that obvious? _

“We’re just friends, Bodhi. Nothing more. She can date who she wants.”

Bodhi shook his head sadly at Cassian. “Then I suppose you applying for that two-year faculty residence program at the Air Force Academy right after their second date was a coincidence.”

Cassian rolled his eyes. His application . . . how did Bodhi even? He hadn’t told anyone what he was doing. Was nothing confidential at this university?

“I’ve been thinking of doing it for awhile. Just seemed like a good time to do it now,” he shrugged, taking a drink of his beer, eyeing Jyn and _ Dave _ dancing out of the corner of his eye. The music had turned slow and he was holding her close and _ really, Dave was just too tall for her. It must be uncomfortable for Jyn’s arms to be stretched up over his neck, to have to be on tippy toes when they kissed - _

God he really needed to stop drowning in his own sorrows. 

“Have you told her you were accepted? That you’re leaving?”

_ Jesus nothing was sacred. _

Cassian stared down into his beer - as if hoping the empty bottle would give him the answers he needed. 

He shook his head at Bodhi. “Not yet . . . I . . . -,” he looked back at Dave, at the two of them dancing and said glumly, “we haven’t really been hanging out all that much lately.” 

Bodhi sighed again. “You need to tell her Cass. She deserves to know her best friend is going to be leaving. You know how she is.” He said pointedly, reminding Cassian of how vulnerable Jyn was when it came to people leaving her. 

Not like his leaving would matter much to her. Now that she had _ Dave. _

“I haven’t formally accepted yet,” he confessed to Bodhi. 

Bodhi stared at him as if he was the devil incarnate. “Cass! That . . . faculty would kill for that spot. Why’d you even apply if you’re unsure? What are you waiting for?” Bodhi said, looking at Jyn. 

Cassian cocked his head and gave Bodhi a _ do you really need to ask _look.

Bodhi shook his head and exhaled deeply. Cassian could swear Kay’s attitude was rubbing off on Bodhi. Usually he was more patient than this. 

Bodhi stood up and placed his hands firmly on Cassian’s shoulder. “Listen Cass. I’m only going to tell you this one time. I love you with all my heart but either you decide now what you’re going to do or you leave it be. She’s not going to wait forever for you.”

“She already stopped waiting,” Cassian muttered. 

Bodhi stared at him sadly. “Maybe you’re the one that stopped.” He patted him on the shoulder and walked towards Jyn and Dave on the dance floor, turning to look at Cassian, motioning him to follow. 

Cassian stayed put.

He took out his phone and opened his email, staring at the acceptance email from the Air Force Academy. He looked at his draft reply that hadn’t been sent yet, the one where he typed out, _ thank you so much for the opportunity, I accept. _ He looked back up at Jyn and she was having so much fun, dancing with Bodhi, her eyes bright with joy and excitement. She caught his eye and motioned for him to join them and he pointed to his beer and yawned. She frowned and started to move off the dance floor when Dave came up behind her and twisted her around to face him and she started dancing again, glancing at Cassian, her eyes trying to encourage him to go out on the dance floor. 

Cassian played on his phone for a little bit, looking at Facebook and Instagram, laughing at the tweets no one responded to except for him on Kay’s twitter account. He felt her before he saw her, her presence alone enough to make him want to confess to her how much he loved her. To tell her to stop dating _ Dave. _ He wanted to tell Jyn to go home with him not _ Dave _. 

“I just wanted to say bye,” Jyn said.

Cassian jerked back. That tattle tale Bodhi ratted him out. 

“We’re going to take off,” she said, hesitantly, peering up at Cassian through her dark lashes. 

_ Ah so Bodhi didn’t say anything. Which meant . . . _

Ughh. Date _ Sex. _

Jyn stepped closer to him, a look of concern on her face. She reached out her hand and -

“Hey Jyn, you ready?” Dave came up and put his hand on Jyn’s waist. Cassian wasn’t too sure if he was imagining it but he could’ve sworn he saw a flicker of unease cross her face. Jyn was prickly and had never been fond of people touching her or getting in her space. Cassian never pushed with her and always waited for her touches - the hugs, the arm holding, how she would laugh hard when something funny happened and grab his leg. 

She looked at Cassian again and he stared back at her, his face blank. She looked down at her phone and then glanced back up at him.

“See you later, Cass,” she said softly. She reached out to pat his arm and his skin burned, aching for more of her touch. He smiled at her sadly. “Bye Jyn.”

_ Somehow he felt they were doing more than just saying bye. _

Cassian watched her walk out the bar and hit send on his email.

* * *

He ordered another beer and watched the soccer match on the bar TV. He wasn’t even sure he knew who was playing or who was winning, his mind wrapped up in Jyn. _ He was losing the only good thing in his life. _

But she was happy. And as long as Jyn was happy then he would be fine. He would swallow down the anger, the bitterness, the pain and still be friends with her and he would eventually get over her. He would go away and complete his residence program and slowly they would stop talking, stop sending each other stupid texts each day and silly memes and GIFS. She would stop being the person he called when he had a problem and she would stop calling him when she needed to be talked out of murdering someone at work. They would both just drift apart and he was fine with that. He would be fine with that. 

He wasn’t fine with that. The thought of losing her, of not hanging out with her anymore, of not being near her, even if they were just friends tore at his heart. _ How could he be so stupid? _

He pulled out his phone and started typing a text to her as he walked out of the bar. He couldn’t very well go to _ Dave’s _ and interrupt - _ well he could and he was sorely tempted - _but he needed to talk to her now. Before he lost his nerve. 

He walked out of the bar and there was Jyn sitting on the curb, eyes glimmering with unshed tears. 

“Jyn?” Cassian said hesitantly, looking down at her. _ What happened? Did Dave make her cry? He was going to kill him for making her cry. _

“Why didn’t you tell me, Cassian?” _ Bodhi was a tattle tale, that rat-bastard. _But then Jyn held up her phone to him and it was a campus-wide announcement of his faculty in-residence program. 

“Jyn . . . give me a chance to explain,” he kneeled down next to her and she looked away, a small tear rolling down her cheek. 

She shook her head at him, her shoulders shaking. “We tell each other everything, Cassian. This is . . . this is big news and you couldn’t even tell me? You couldn’t tell me that you’re going to leave? When were you planning on telling me?” She laughed bitterly. “Or did you just figure I would show up at your apartment one day and find you gone, like everyone else I’ve - 

He cut her off. “I didn’t tell you because I didn’t think you’d care,” he finally said, shouting. “It’s not like you’ve been around lately, Jyn and I just . . . didn’t think I mattered all that much anymore.”

She looked at him in shock. “Cassian! How could you think that you don’t matter to me? You’re everything to me.”

He looked down at his hands, not meeting her gaze. “Not everything,” he whispered. He felt Jyn stiffen next to him, taking a sharp breath. 

_ There. It was done. He said it. He put himself out there. And obviously she wasn’t interested in. _

He moved to stand up but then a small hand darted up and grabbed his wrist, bringing him back down to her again. 

“What do you mean ‘not everything’ Cassian?” Jyn asked sharply. 

He stayed quiet, too embarrassed to look at her. 

Her hand dropped from his wrist and he could feel the absence in his heart at her missing touch. 

Then he felt a soft hand caressing his cheek and cup his chin, turning his face towards hers. “What do you mean by not everything, Cassian?” she asked again, this time her tone soft and patient. 

He tilted his head down into her hand, his lips barely brushing against her palm. He took a deep breath and looked up at her, his intense gaze startling her. 

“I want to be everything to you, Jyn. I want to be your friend. Your boyfriend. Your lover. I’ll give you everything I have. My heart, my soul, my love. I . . .” he took another deep breath. “Love you.”

She stared at him, not saying a word. He moved to get up but then she pulled him down to her again and before he could take a breath, her lips were on his and it was as if all the darkness has been yanked out of him only to be replaced by her brightness. She swept her tongue slowly across his lips and he opened his mouth, and his heart to her and she greedily kissed him, fisting his shirt in her hand and pulling him closer to her. _ And oh my God. Maybe they could go straight from friends to lovers because the way she was kissing - _

A loud cough made them pull away from each guiltily. 

“About time you two got your shit together.” Bodhi said, clapping them both on the shoulders. Kay had somehow shown up and shook his head at Cassian, glaring at Jyn. “I told you Cassian, only bad decisions happen at the Falcon.” Bodhi nudged Kay. “C,mon big guy. I’m going to crash at your place tonight.”

Kay looked at Cassian then back at Bodhi and sighed loudly. “I suppose. I’m sure neither one of us want to hear them fornicating.” 

“You guys!” Cassian said, trying to shush them, his cheeks a bright red. Jyn curled up to him and nipped at his ear and he was pretty sure his ears were red now too.

They both started to walk away but not before they could hear Bodhi laugh and say, “Yeah Jyn’s been on a dry spell - at least a year -“

“It’s been worse for Cassian,” Kay said solemnly. “I would say at least 18 months. And I don't know if you count premature -” 

"KAY!" Cassian shouted. "SHUT UP!"

Jyn buried her head in Cassian’s chest. “Please tell them to go away,” she muttered. Cassian looked at their retreating figures and wrapped his arms around her. “They’re gone,” he murmured into her hair. “It’s just us now.”

She looked up at him shyly. “They didn’t give us much of a choice.” She looked a bit uncertain. “Are you okay? Coming back to my place? We don’t have to . . . I mean I know we just and I don’t want you to feel press-“

Cassian cut her off with a swift kiss that turned into him sucking on her bottom lip until it was red and swollen. 

“Jyn. I don’t want to be anywhere else except with you.” 

He stood up and extended his hand out to her. “Let’s go home.” She beamed up at him and placed her hand in his.

* * *

_Four hours later_

“So a year, huh?” Cassian said, smirking at her, feeling like quite the man after he brought her to multiple orgasms and him finally reaching his peak as she squeezed herself around him. 

Jyn stretched around him, her naked body fitting perfectly against his. 

“Let’s not talk about me. I’m surprised you were able to go so long after an ‘18-month’ dry spell,” she said, sassing back at him. 

He held up his palm to her. “That’s why I have calluses Jyn.”

She smacked him on the arm. “Perv!”

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer to him, nuzzling her face with his nose. 

“How long?” he asked her softly.

“You heard Bodhi. At least a yea-”

“No, not that, Jyn.” Cassian said, quietly. “How long . . . have you . . .” He couldn't bring himself to say it, worried he was presuming. 

“Been in love with you?” she cut in. Cassian blushed and his stomach did little flip flops. _ She loved him _. She hadn’t said anything last night when they were together and he knew she cared for him. He just didn’t know she loved him and hearing her say those words - 

“Yes, Cassian. I love you. Get that through your thick skull. I’ve been in love with your forever.” 

He gave her a perplexed look. “Then . . . why with Dave? I thought . . . you were really into him.”

Jyn frowned. “I didn’t think you were into me. I thought . . . last year that night we had dinner but then you had this look on your face like I messed up so I figured you didn’t think of me that way. Then when Dave asked me . . . you didn’t even say anything so I figured that was my answer. You just wanted to be friends.”

Cassian groaned into her neck. “I am such an idiot. I didn’t think you were into me. And then you started going out with Dave and you didn’t hang out with me anymore . . . I just figured that was it.”

She kissed him gently on the lips. “When did you . . . with me?” She asked softly. 

“Since forever,” he said, murmuring against her lips. “From the moment I saw you and you called Dean Draven an asshole to his face. I just never thought I deserved you.”

He moved his head away from her. “Jyn . . . I don’t know how to do this. How to be someone that you can be with. I don’t like Paint Night or going to those stupid millennial festival events. I don’t know how to be that guy.”

He was surprised when Jyn started laughing. 

“Cassian! Why in the world would you think that I would want to do any of that?” 

He was confused. 

“But you and Dave and all your stupid dates. I thought . . . he was taking you all these places.”

She punched him in the arm. _ Fuck she hit hard. _

“I hate that stuff, Cassian. You of all people know I don’t like socializing and being around people. I just like you and Bodhi. And maybe Kay. I’d rather be home eating pizza binge watching TV with you. Like we normally do. I just didn’t want to do those things we do with Dave. It’s our thing.”

Cassian cuddled her closer to him. 

Then a thought sprang to his mind and he pushed her away, getting off the bed, grabbing a sheet to cover himself. 

“Oh shit. Did we . . . did you . . . cheat? With me? On him?” In all the excitement last night, he hadn’t even thought of the poor guy as they kissed and made out on the way back to Jyn’s apartment. Then when they got to her apartment and she had pushed him up against the wall and unbuckled his belt - 

He could feel like the sheet wasn’t covering much right now. 

Jyn facepalmed herself. “Oh my God. You are a dumbass. No! When we left the bar and I saw the email that you were leaving . . . I knew that I couldn’t . . . that it wasn’t fair to keep going out with him and told him that.”

Cassian breathed a sigh of relief and sat back down on the bed. “Cafeteria lunches are going to be awkward now.” 

Jyn shrugged her shoulders, faking a look of nonchalance. “Well . . . you won’t be here so I’m still going to need a lunch partner.”

Then it hit him. He was leaving. He was leaving her. _ Not now. Not when they just got together. _

He laid down next to her and his mind was made up. He knew what was important to him. It wasn't work, a place or a career. It was a person. “I’m not going. I’m going to rescind my acceptance.”

Jyn looked at him in surprise. “Cass . . . no. This is an opportunity. You can’t turn this down.”

He shook his head stubbornly. “Jyn . . . I’m going to have plenty of opportunities. You’re already on the tenure track. I want to do this together. Not thousands of miles apart.”

A pretty blush filled her cheeks and Cassian peeked down the sheet to see how far the blush went. _ God she was beautiful. _“You would stay?” she whispered. “For me?” 

“I’m with you,” he said. “All the way.”

**Author's Note:**

> So the end was a bit cheesy but I've always been a fan of Cassian choosing Jyn over the Rebellion (I know its a bit OOC) so I figured in this fic, he chooses Jyn's career over his own.


End file.
